On Michael Graham’s Massachusetts-based radio show on Thursday, National Review columnist Mark Steyn reacted to the treatment of Lois Lerner, the now-suspended head of the Internal Revenue Service’s division on tax-exempt organizations.

Lerner, who had asserted her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an appearance before the House Oversight Committee in a hearing on Wednesday, was the object of ridicule by Steyn on the show.

“Is this a republic or is it not?” Steyn said. “Because, if it is what a republic is then you guys wasted your whole time with your revolution — because they are basically saying we are the king’s courtiers and we do not have to account to you for what’s going on, but you have to account for us. Complete waste of time, the revolution.”

According to the National Review columnist, Lerner’s decision to not participate in the congressional inquiry represented the federal government’s position.

“Let’s be clear about this — she is the government,” he said. “There’s no reason why anyone — if she is still employed by the IRS, which is a branch of the United States Treasury, which is a branch of the United States government — then she is not speaking as an individual. She is speaking as the government, the government. And she has still got her job. In effect, the United States government has just pleaded the fifth. That’s absolutely ridiculous.”